Pelni operates new ship

JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned shipping firm PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni) launched its 14th passenger ship, Binaiya, from Tanjung Priok port here on Saturday.

The vessel was assigned the route linking Jakarta-Pontianak (West Kalimantan)-Semarang (Central Java)-Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan)-Surabaya (East Java)-Batulicin (South Kalimantan)- Ujungpandang (South Sulawesi) every two weeks.

The new ship, costing DM82.04 million (US$49.42 million), was the fourth of five similar passenger liners ordered by Pelni from Jos. L. Meyer GmbH & Co. of Germany under a contract signed in February 1991.

Previously, Pelni had received 13 passenger vessels from the same German shipbuilding company which were procured with credit financing from the German government.

The fifth vessel, Bukit Raya, will be delivered in late August.

According to Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto, Pelni isn't through ordering passenger liners from Germany. (icn)